Teacher Amy Walker responds to a student’s question during a Mansfield Middle School language arts honors class.
A successful reading and writing strategy in Mansfield City Schools’ elementary and intermediate grades is being implemented this year at Mansfield Middle School. Its goal: “Grow the minds of all students.”
Literacy Collaborative, developed at Ohio State University in Columbus, has been part of the district’s lower-grades curriculum for years. Strategies involve total classroom instruction, work with small groups of students whose progress is at a similar level and individual assistance.
Language arts teacher Amy Walker is the OSU-trained literacy coach at the middle school.
“Literacy Collaborative is a comprehensive school literacy model designed to grow students’ reading, writing and language skills,” Walker said. “Our language arts teachers are excited. They worked hard over the summer to complete 13 hours of rigorous professional development and have now begun the first steps of Literacy Collaborative implementation in their classrooms.”
OSU requires 40 hours of training for teachers involved with Literacy Collaborative. Walker said that training will continue throughout the year on waiver days, starting on Sept. 2 when students will be out of school.
District Curriculum Director Stephen Rizzo said years of data prove the success of Literacy Collaborative initiatives.
“It is a research-based model that is student-centered and outcome-based,” he said. “Research has shown that it works.
“We now have the full range of Literacy Collaborative initiatives in kindergarten through eighth grade. Literacy coaches in each building are highly trained by OSU. They teach part of the day and coach their peers part of the day.”
Walker said Literacy Collaborative techniques allow teachers to assess students individually, an improvement over computer assessments.
“Previously, when students came up to the middle school we sometimes assumed their reading levels. We were teaching to expectations,” she said. “Literacy Collaborative allows teachers to assess students’ individual levels. It helps teachers develop one-to-one relationships with students.”
The middle school has completed the first two of four implementation phases required by OSU. The school initiated an initial awareness, research and planning phase, followed by Walker’s completion of training as literacy coach. Working with Principal Robert McQuate and Assistant Principal Jason Douglas, a building literacy team was created.
“Mansfield Middle School currently is in phase three, where language arts teachers will receive 40 hours of professional development throughout the year, as well as classroom support during the school day,” Walker said. “Phase four will take place throughout the 2017-2018 school year. During this time, teachers will receive additional support through 20 hours of professional development. There will also be continued classroom support throughout the school day.”
Currently, middle school teachers are working to thoroughly assess students’ reading by analyzing their fluency and comprehension.
“Once teachers complete their analysis, they will be able to use the data to drive their instruction,” Walker said. “The goal is to grow the minds of all students.”